Managing a Hard Winter

One key to managing this pandemic is staying active, and the hard winter we are experiencing is not making it easier. One benefit of living in the Finger Lakes is the number of outdoor activities that avoid close human contact.  Some of my early winter outings were to nature preserves close to Corning.  Plymouth Woods is small and rarely visited by more than a few people a week. At the entrance is a plaque featuring a timely poem by Robert Frost. 

I love exploring this small preserve to explore the intimate landscapes it reveals.  This thorny vine in early January still is showing a trace of green.  It's tough for sure.

 

Steege Hill is another nearby preserve, but it has miles of trails and some serious elevation changes.  It's a real workout in deep snow.  On one outing I used a phone app to remotely trigger my camera as I walked up a trail towards white birch trees. This is good way to take group photos with a tripod to hold the camera.  Easy.

In winter, the snow cleans up landscape so it is less cluttered.  Often, objects are seen more clearly. We are programmed to see familiar objects in cloud shapes, and likewise to see human forms in things like a tree stump.  Do you see a rather bizarre Root Man in this image?

Perhaps it was time to explore a little farther from home.  Snowy Owls are regular visitors when the winter becomes severe. Driving a few hours north, I found this owl perched at a roadside power pole.

My preference would have been to cross over to Canada for owls, but the border is closed.  Aren't we all accumulating a long list of deferred plans?  It just keeps getting longer each month.

Staying close to home, I met up with David Arkin to explore the Finger Lakes Land Trust preserve at Logan Hill in Candor.  It was one of the rare sunny winter days.  It was rich with animal tracks and a wide variety of habitats. It's now on my list for spring and summer wildflowers and birds.

We were so intrigued by Logan Hill that we returned to explore more with Betsy Darlington, who donated the preserve along with her husband for all to enjoy.  One highlight was discovering this fresh evidence of Pileated Woodpecker activity. There must have been a huge nest of Carpenter Ants in this old tree.

On the subject of deferred plans, one often frustrated plan for me was to capture an image of the full moon setting behind the iconic Little Joe tower in Corning.   Over about three years, I have plotted the shifting location of the moon relative to the tower, only to have my plan killed by complete cloud cover. I recall one morning when it all looked promising as the moon angled on a track down to the tower, only to be hidden by a fog bank rolling down the river valley.  Finally on a very cold morning in late January, I stood on the Chemung River dike and was rewarded with an image that I love.

You can see that the clouds advancing from the west could have ruined the image easily.

Installing a photo blind in my backyard and collecting some appropriate natural features, provided me with hours of enjoyment without the need to travel.  This Tufted Titmouse was captured at it hopped off its perch.  It was a matter of fortunate timing and selecting a fast shutter.

Sometimes, I am surprised at results that bring out a common bird's coloration with greater subtlety than we casually recognize.  That was the case for this elegant Mourning Dove that posed on a dead tree stump.  Doves are the earliest arrivals at our bird feeder most days.  Often they are shadows in the darkness.

Birds aren't the only visitors to my photo setup.  Gray Squirels police for sunflower seeds since my feeders are pretty safe from them. They are as alert for hawks as the small birds.

The White-breasted Nuthatch prefers a downward approach when foraging.  Each bird has a unique foraging habits and its is working down the tree.

In addition to the bird blind, another part of my strategy for tolerating the enforced distancing is to get out with my snowshoes.  As the snowfall became deeper, they became a great way to beat the cold and get some exercise. It was also another chance to practice using my phone to trigger the camera.

 By far, the time in the photo blind was the most productive activity in my plan to manage this hard winter and COVID.  It was rewarding when a beautiful bird slipped in swiftly to a perch that I had positioned for it.  I will end with two that were memorable to me.  The first reward was when a shy male Northern Cardinal appeared.  His posture indicated his alertness.

 

 

A second favorite was this inquisitive Carolina Wren that arrived to inspect this tree cavity shortly after I installed it.  Ten years ago, Carolina Wrens were unusual visitors, and now there are several pairs making daily visits.  

How to manage the double whammy of a hard winter and a pandemic?  A daily list of activities including some things one loves (plus the chores like clearing deep snow) and getting outside in low density areas for some fun. That's what works for me.

Paul Schmitt